With Phish’s great summer tour in the books, we wanted to look back at some of the unique highlights from the road. As the band performed over 200 songs this summer, more and more covers worked their way into the rotation. The band had been notably avoiding covers over the last few years (perhaps due to Billy Joel), and their return made for some memorable moments on this summer tour.
With those moments in mind, we made ourselves a list of the top 10 (or technically 12) covers that Phish played this summer. Enjoy!
10. Soul Shakedown Party – Bob Marley at Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY, 7/3/16
“Soul Shakedown Party” is always the signal for a great set, and its performance in the opening slot of this second set from SPAC is no exception. Considering the set featured the best “Moma Dance” of the 3.0 era and a monster run that included “Axilla > Theme From The Bottom > Harry Hood > Show Of Life,” this was a Sunday show for the books! It all started with the first “Soul Shakedown” in two years, which you can stream below.
9. Frankenstein – Edgar Winter Band at Lakeview Amphitheatre, Syracuse, NY on 7/11/16
Always a fan favorite, Phish’s cover of “Frankenstein” is especially appealing because it gets keyboardist Page McConnell up from his piano bench and jamming out between Trey Anastasio and Mike Gordon. With a keytar slung around his neck, all eyes are on Page as he takes the rare opportunity to jam out, front and center. Interestingly, that keytar was once owned and used by the legendary James Brown. Phish always rocks the 1972 instrumental classic by the Edgar Winter Band, and the version from this summer in Syracuse was one of the best. Anastasio even teases drummer Jon Fishman during the song’s drum breakdown, pointing out that he went to high school in Syracuse. The crowd goes nuts the whole time!
8. Daniel Saw The Stone – Traditional at Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN on 6/22/16
Phish’s tour opener in St. Paul, MN brought a series of bust out songs, setting the pace for one of the most diverse summer tour song selections in the band’s career. On the first night, the band put the traditional “Daniel Saw The Stone” back into the rotation, and the band rocked the folky ballad with style. The song had only been played twice before since their 2009 reunion, and the bust out this summer came after a 140 show absence. Though the band worked it into a setlist later this summer, the break out version has so much energy! Listen in below.
7. Manteca by Dizzy Gillespie at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, CA on 7/19/16
Four words say it all: “Crab in my shoemouth.” Though often teased, Phish brought out this beloved Dizzy Gillespie jazz instrumental during a serious “Light” jam in the second set at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. The San Francisco show marked the first full-on performance of “Manteca” since 2012 (165 shows), and it felt right at home sandwiched between “Light” and Led Zeppelin’s “No Quarter.” Though Phish added the silly lyrics, “Manteca” is truly a Gillespie composition, and for that reason it made its way onto this listing.
6. I Found A Reason – Velvet Underground at Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN on 6/22/16
In the bust out heavy tour opener, Phish treated fans to a song no one was expecting. Taken from their cover of Velvet Underground’s Loaded album, Phish broke out into “I Found A Reason” for the first time since that 1998 Halloween performance. The 493 show gap was one of the longest in band history, only showing their admiration for The Velvet Underground. The Lou Reed and John Cale led act was easily one of the coolest bands from the 60’s and early 70’s, and Phish’s tribute was handled perfectly. With Trey leading the spoken vocals, it was a treat to see Phish play a VU song that wasn’t “Rock and Roll.” (Hint: bring back “Cool It Down” please)
5. Fire & Bold As Love – Jimi Hendrix at SPAC and Syracuse, respectively, on 7/1/16 and 7/10/16
It may be cheating to lump these two songs together, especially as each stands out on its own as a great Phish moment from summer tour. The two Jimi Hendrix covers each have their own history within Phish lore, as they’ve been played since the band’s earliest days. With the repertoire ever expanding, these songs don’t see the light of day very often, but Phish committed to bringing out more material this summer, and jammed out some Hendrix on two occasions. The “Fire” from SPAC was quite the treat, and the “Bold As Love” just a week later in Syracuse was introduced at one of Page’s favorite songs to play. Considering both only made one appearance this summer, these rarities made for great moments in the band’s performances.
4. Crosseyed and Painless – Talking Heads at The Gorge Amphitheatre, George, WA on 7/15/16
Those who weren’t alive to witness the Talking Heads in the late 70’s and 80’s did not have the opportunity to witness one of the all-time great bands. The band elevated themselves far beyond their New Wave label with complex rhythms that combined elements of funk, dance, and art rock to a sound that changed the face of music. It’s no wonder that Phish loves to cover their music, but the performance of “Crosseyed & Painless” always holds a special place in the Phans’ heart. The band opened their second set at The Gorge opener with the Talking Heads tune, and teased it in almost every song of the set. Those “Still Waiting” sets are always special, especially when the group finds time to tease more and more songs as the set goes on.
3. Dear Prudence & I Am The Walrus – The Beatles at Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN and Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL on 6/22/16 and 6/25/16
With a number of surprise covers heading back into Phish’s rotation, it’s no surprise that a pair of songs by The Beatles made their first appearances in many years. The first was “Dear Prudence,” performed at the same “bust out heavy” tour opener that we’ve mentioned several times in this article. The song was brought out after a 796 show gap, as it was last played at the band’s Halloween performance of The White Album in 1994. Then, just three days later, Phish surprised fans with yet another Beatles song, as they brought out “I Am The Walrus” at the end of their two-night run at Wrigley Field. When they uttered the lyric “Smoke pot, smoke pot, everybody smoke pot,” as the Beatles secretly sang on their 1967 version, the crowd erupted with energy. The song had only been played once before, in 2010, making this bust out all the more special. Watch both below.
2. Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley – Allen Toussaint at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, CA on 7/18/16
Every Phish fan has “Sally” high on their list of “want to hear” for any setlist. A rollicking Cajun classic written by Allen Toussaint, fans are always dancing to this very infectious tune. The song has been played 22 times in the 3.0 era, but made its sole debut in San Francisco. Oh, but what an incredible version! Clocking in a shade under 19 minutes, one can argue that it was one of the best versions of “Sally” ever. The funkathon was so groovy with inspired vocal scatting and soulful extended jamming it is sure to remain a high point in Phish lore.
1. Space Oddity – David Bowie at Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL on 6/24/16
Hands down, this was one of the biggest highlight of the summer. David Bowie’s towering classic was first released in 1969 during the height of space program. As men were traveling to the Moon, Bowie brilliantly captured the lonely desperation of space travel with a haunting song known to everyone. Phishtory was made, with a stunning a cappella version as a tribute to the late Bowie, who passed away earlier this year. The energy at Wrigley Field when the crowd recognizes the song is absolutely insane, and only grows as the 40,000 sang together in unison. What a special musical moment… thank you Phish.
Written by Editor Dave Melamed and his Jamfather
Videos from various sources on YouTube
Photo by Brandon Weil at Chula Vista